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Turkish police polish up their set-pieces
Istanbul police prepare for trouble
Daren Butler
Wednesday October 8, 2003
The Guardian
Riot police yesterday staged crowd control exercises in preparation for Saturday's Euro 2004 qualifier between Turkey and England in Istanbul where more than 5,000 officers will be deployed.
In a regular training session 80 officers with riot shields and backed by armoured vehicles confronted a noisy crowd of demonstrators throwing Molotov cocktails - a simulation which authorities are confident will not become reality on Saturday.
Tight security is planned to prevent England fans from attending the game and police have sent a list with the names of around 1,000 known English hooligans to Turkish airports and other border posts to prevent their entry.
But Istanbul police chief Celalettin Cerrah sought to reassure England that there will be no trouble at the game, which Turkey need to win to qualify automatically for next year's finals in Portugal.
"English people should not expect any incident. We are very relaxed on this issue. We have an experienced team and we have taken all necessary measures," he said.
He said that they would establish a triple security cordon around the stadium, where all spectators will have to prove their identity with Turkish ID cards and will be searched for any objects that could be used as projectiles.
"We are telling people that mobile phones, bottles or anything that can be thrown on to the pitch will be confiscated." Alcohol sales near the stadium will also be banned on match day.
Recent clashes between rival supporters and provocative comments attributed to officials from the two countries have soured the atmosphere prior to the match.
But in a goodwill gesture an FA delegation handed out presents at a children's home in Istanbul and made a plea for fans to behave themselves.
"This game is for the Turkish supporters. It is their country, so don't let's spoil it by some silly events which have nothing to do with the game," said the former Northern Ireland manager Lawrie McMenemy.
In April, England beat Turkey 2-0 in Sunderland where the game was marred by racist chanting by home fans and a pitch invasion which resulted in a record Uefa fine. The FA wrote an open letter to supporters last month warning that England could be expelled from Euro 2004 if trouble erupted again in Istanbul.
Relations between the two countries' supporters reached an all-time low in 2000 after two Leeds United fans were stabbed to death amid trouble before a Uefa Cup match against Galatasaray.
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